Latest news with #RotaryClub
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Rotary Club of Southwick holding annual Tag Sale June 21
SOUTHWICK — For those looking for a bargain and needing to get rid of some stuff that's still in good shape and work, and help the community, the Rotary Club of Southwick's annual Tag Sale is where to be on June 21. 'You'll know what you'll find,' said Rotary Club President Bob Fox about the sale that will be held at The Southwick Florist located at 636 College Highway from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, June 21. In fact, there is still one item that was brought to a tag sale a few years ago that has yet to find a permanent home: an 800-pound organ. 'We didn't want to throw it out because it has some beautiful woodwork,' Fox said. He also admitted to tinkling its ivories on occasion. The annual tag sale is one of the Rotary Club's primary fundraisers during the year, sometimes generating as much as $1,000, Fox said. And every dollar is used in town to continue the good works of the club does for the town and to fund one of its scholarships in honor of Helen Nadeau, a former first grade and kindergarten teacher at the Woodland School for 35 years. Named the Nadeau Rotary Scholarship for Deserving Students, it's to remember her passion about sparking her students' creativity and instilling in them a lifelong love for learning. Nadeau died peacefully on Jan. 18, 2025, surrounded by her family. 'Her family continues to be delighted to support deserving young students as they pursue their continued education,' said club Secretary Chris Boyd. The club partnered with the Nadeau family four years ago to establish a substantial scholarship to be awarded to a Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District graduate each year. The tag sale was the idea of former club member Brian Morrissey, he said. It was originally held in the parking lot of the Gristmill Plaza, but moved to grounds of the florist shop, which also allowed it to use the business' barn, Fox said. The club welcomes all donations of items like sports equipment, gently used household goods, books, tchotchkes, small appliances — the club has already been donated a Ninja air fryer — and pet supplies like harnesses, leashes, and dog and cat crates, and luggage, to name a few. 'Donate something that doesn't belong at the transfer station,' he said with a laugh. Electronic items will not be accepted as a donation, he stressed. Fox said all the items donated will be examined to ensure each is in good condition before tagging it with what, he said, would be considered a fair price. The club is also offering space on the florist's grounds or inside the barn to families or individuals who want to hold something of a yard sale. The cost for the space is $35, he said, and those who purchase space can keep whatever money they make. Anyone interested in reserving vendor space or for general information can call Fox at 413-569-5962. Proceeds from the sale will support community and youth-oriented Rotary projects. For those who want to help, financial donations are always accepted. They can be sent to the Rotary Club of Southwick, P.O. Box 701, Southwick, MA 01077 with attention to Boyd Read the original article on MassLive.
West Australian
5 days ago
- General
- West Australian
Wheelchairs for Kids Australia founder Brother Olly Pickett named Western Australian of the Year
A humble retired metalwork teacher who has rallied hundreds of WA volunteers to gift thousands of wheelchairs to children in some of the world's poorest countries has been crowned this year's Western Australian of the Year. Brother Olly Pickett took home the State's highest honour at a prestigious gala at Crown Perth on Thursday night in recognition of his remarkable work over the past 30 years with his charity, Wheelchair for Kids Australia. It was a project that started in his workshop in Perth in 1996 after a request from a local Rotary Club. In the decades since, the volunteer-run charity has grown to a team of more than 250 volunteers — with an average age of 74 — giving hundreds of people a sense of purpose and making it one of the State's biggest charities. A further 550 volunteers from aged care and community groups also sew covers for wheelchair soft supports, and crochet rugs and soft toys. Since its inception, more than 61,500 all-terrain wheelchairs have been delivered to children in more than 80 countries, including Laos, Kenya and Mongolia, completely free of charge. In a world first, the wheelchairs — which have been backed by the World Health Organisation — are fully adjustable, meaning they can 'grow' with the child into adulthood. They give children without mobility the chance to go to school, play with their friends and live with dignity. The 84-year-old said he felt 'humbled and grateful' and described the award as a 'magnificent honour'. 'I'm still trying to get over it, I feel very overwhelmed,' he told The West Australian after receiving the award. 'Every morning I get up and thank the Lord that I can do this because there are a lot of people who are far worse off than me. 'These kids can't even get off the ground and then they get too heavy for their mothers to lift, and now they can go to school and get an education. 'It's just changing lives completely, not only for the little kids, but also for their family.' Before founding the charity, Brother Olly spent four decades as a metal work teacher and Christian Brother teaching teenagers who had dropped out of school. Those students helped build some of the charity's first wheelchairs. 'When I retired my big boss said, 'What would you like to do now?' and I said, 'I wouldn't mind doing something to help kids who have dropped out of mainstream school,'' he said. 'The kids asked me about making a wheelchair and I said I had never made one before, so they showed me.' Brother Olly — who was also awarded the Alcoa of Australia Community Award — attended Thursday night's gala with six other volunteers from his factory. He said he was 'so grateful' for his volunteers and said they were 'all in this together'. 'It's a very rewarding lifestyle,' he said. 'Nothing's a burden, they are such a wonderful group of people that you just can't but be glad to be part of it.' Incredibly, Brother Olly said he would celebrate the award with a 'nice cup of coffee'. 'I'm getting a bit too old to celebrate, but I'll probably have a nice cup of coffee somewhere,' he said. 'I can't thank everyone enough, I hope (winning this award) does a lot for our project and our wonderful volunteers.' The honour follows on from Mr Pickett being named the 2025 Senior Australian of the Year in January. Twenty one finalists were recognised across seven award categories. 2025 WESTERN AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR – WINNERS Western Australian of the Year – Brother Oliver 'Olly' Pickett Wesfarmers Aboriginal Award – Dr Mara West Crown Perth Arts & Culture Award – Lucy Durack The Chamber of Minerals & Energy WA Business Award – Nigel Satterley Alcoa of Australia Community Award – Brother Oliver 'Olly' Pickett APM Professions Award – Prof. Sue Fletcher Channel 7 Sport Award – Nina Kennedy BHP Youth Award – Kennedy Lay
Perth Now
5 days ago
- General
- Perth Now
Brother Olly Pickett crowned Western Australian of the Year
A humble retired metalwork teacher who has rallied hundreds of WA volunteers to gift thousands of wheelchairs to children in some of the world's poorest countries has been crowned this year's Western Australian of the Year. Brother Olly Pickett took home the State's highest honour at a prestigious gala at Crown Perth on Thursday night in recognition of his remarkable work over the past 30 years with his charity, Wheelchair for Kids Australia. It was a project that started in his workshop in Perth in 1996 after a request from a local Rotary Club. In the decades since, the volunteer-run charity has grown to a team of more than 250 volunteers — with an average age of 74 — giving hundreds of people a sense of purpose and making it one of the State's biggest charities. A further 550 volunteers from aged care and community groups also sew covers for wheelchair soft supports, and crochet rugs and soft toys. Since its inception, more than 61,500 all-terrain wheelchairs have been delivered to children in more than 80 countries, including Laos, Kenya and Mongolia, completely free of charge. Brother Olly Pickett. Credit: Jackson Flindell / Jackson Flindell / The West Aust In a world first, the wheelchairs — which have been backed by the World Health Organisation — are fully adjustable, meaning they can 'grow' with the child into adulthood. They give children without mobility the chance to go to school, play with their friends and live with dignity. The 84-year-old said he felt 'humbled and grateful' and described the award as a 'magnificent honour'. 'I'm still trying to get over it, I feel very overwhelmed,' he told The West Australian after receiving the award. 'Every morning I get up and thank the Lord that I can do this because there are a lot of people who are far worse off than me. 'These kids can't even get off the ground and then they get too heavy for their mothers to lift, and now they can go to school and get an education. 'It's just changing lives completely, not only for the little kids, but also for their family.' Before founding the charity, Brother Olly spent four decades as a metal work teacher and Christian Brother teaching teenagers who had dropped out of school. Those students helped build some of the charity's first wheelchairs. 'When I retired my big boss said, 'What would you like to do now?' and I said, 'I wouldn't mind doing something to help kids who have dropped out of mainstream school,'' he said. 'The kids asked me about making a wheelchair and I said I had never made one before, so they showed me.' Brother Olly — who was also awarded the Alcoa of Australia Community Award — attended Thursday night's gala with six other volunteers from his factory. He said he was 'so grateful' for his volunteers and said they were 'all in this together'. 'It's a very rewarding lifestyle,' he said. 'Nothing's a burden, they are such a wonderful group of people that you just can't but be glad to be part of it.' Incredibly, Brother Olly said he would celebrate the award with a 'nice cup of coffee'. 'I'm getting a bit too old to celebrate, but I'll probably have a nice cup of coffee somewhere,' he said. 'I can't thank everyone enough, I hope (winning this award) does a lot for our project and our wonderful volunteers.' The honour follows on from Mr Pickett being named the 2025 Senior Australian of the Year in January. Twenty one finalists were recognised across seven award categories. 2025 WESTERN AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR – WINNERS Western Australian of the Year – Brother Oliver 'Olly' Pickett Wesfarmers Aboriginal Award – Dr Mara West Crown Perth Arts & Culture Award – Lucy Durack The Chamber of Minerals & Energy WA Business Award – Nigel Satterley Alcoa of Australia Community Award – Brother Oliver 'Olly' Pickett APM Professions Award – Prof. Sue Fletcher Channel 7 Sport Award – Nina Kennedy BHP Youth Award – Kennedy Lay
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Aram Bagh Club, Scout Club win
Girls basketball teams pose with chief guest SSP South Suhai Aziz at the inauguration of Shaheed Traffic Police Trophy Tournament. Director Sports Comm Karachi Ghulam Muhammad Khan, Rotary Club's Sheikh Aqeel and CMO Dr. Nighat Aqeel are also seen. PHOTO: APP Aram Bagh Club defeated Youth Club 8-4 while Scout Club outplayed Karachi Youth Club by 22-6 in the opening matches of the Shuhada-e-Traffic Police Trophy Girls Basketball Tournament which kicked off at the International Abdul Nasir Basketball Court in Aram Bagh on Wednesday. In the first match, for winners Aram Bagh Club Anabia scored 4 points, while Atiqa and Amna Ashraf scored 2 points each for the winning side. For Youth Club, Sara and Fabiha scored 2 points each. In the second match, winners Scout Club were led by Nimra Amin with 10 points while Iqra Shafiq scored 6 and Zara Arif contributed 4 points. For the losing team, Umm-e-Hani, Sara Ashraf, and Fabiha Tariq scored 2 points apiece. In the third match, Scout Club narrowly defeated Aram Bagh Club 4-2. Zara Arif scored all 4 points for the winning team, while Anabia scored 2 for the runner-up. Earlier, the tournament was formally inaugurated by SSP South Traffic Suhai Aziz. Also in attendance at the opening ceremony were Director Sports Commissioner Karachi Ghulam Muhammad Khan, Rotary Club's Sheikh Aqeel Ahmed, CMO Dr. Nighat Aqeel, Zahid Malik, Nusrat Afzal, Zaeema Khatoon, and other notable guests. Speaking on the occasion, SSP Suhai Aziz expressed her gratitude to the organizers for dedicating the tournament to the martyrs of the Traffic Police. She also announced plans to host a grand girls basketball tournament on Independence Day. The event is being held under the patronage of the Traffic Police and has been organized under the banner of Firdous Ittehad with the approval of the Karachi Basketball Association.
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Rotary Club sponsors 19 gas-based crematoriums in state; Vizianagaram unit inaugurated
Rotary Club District Governor (3020) M. Venkateswara Rao announced at the Club Assembly held in Vizianagaram on Tuesday that the Club has sponsored 19 gas-based crematoriums in various districts, including the newly inaugurated one at Vizianagaram. Attending the event as the chief guest, he asked all the 82 Rotary Clubs in his jurisdiction to take up environment-friendly initiatives such as setting up gas-based crematoriums in their respective places to reduce deforestation caused by the traditional use of firewood for the last rites. Mr. Rao praised Vizianagaram club President G. Vindo Kumar and B. Naga Prakash for taking up activities, such as setting up water plants, organising plantation drives, and distributing tricycles to physically challenged individuals. The Assistant Governor D. Uma Balaji and Club-Services wing Director B. Radhika Rani presented an overview of the service activities undertaken during the Assembly. Several past presidents and members took part in the meeting.
